The Deal Mommy

Drive your own taxi!

I learned something new today worth sharing: did you know most car rental agencies will let you return your car to a different location in the same city? This little trick can save you a bundle if you’re in a town that has a high airport tax rate or high taxi rates from downtown the the airport, or at least give you some fun day-trip options you might not have considered.

Here’s is an example: next week I’m renting a car in downtown Montreal to drive to Quebec, then back to the airport. The cab rate is $34.75 + Tip. The car rental rate on Avis or Budget, picking up downtown (.7 miles from my hotel) and returning to the airport, is $36 a day including all taxes. So, for the same price, you can pick up a rental car, enjoy it for a day-trip out of the city, and return it to the airport on your way out of town.

This made the difference for me between going to Quebec and not going to Quebec. I was having trouble justifying the car rental as an extra expense, but knowing that 1/2 of it is paid for by saving on an airport taxi made the extra stop make much more sense.